Submarine-detector.



w. A. STEWART.

` SUBMARINE DETECTOR@ APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2 IQIZ.

1,242,386; l. Patented Oct. 9,1917.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR a i, haleagLmQM W. A. STEWART.

SUBNIARINE DETECTOR. Y APPLICATION FILED MAR. '12.1917'. T 1,242,386. Patented 0013.9, 1917.v

H 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

iiiairnn eraf/ras garantir ornrcn- WILLIAM A. STEWART, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SUBIVIABINE-DETECTOR.

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@pacification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed March 12, 1917. Serial No. 154,364.

To all whom t may concern: i

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. STEwARr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have inventedy certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine-Detectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for detecting submarines, particularly when they are submerged, and is designed to provide a cheap and easily manufactured detector 'that is simple so as to insure its operation.

The invention relates further to a detector that indicates the position and course of a .of similar warnings' when the net is shifted from the position vin which it is moored or otherwise detachably secured.

The invention is subject to many changes as to details, but to clearly illustrate the nature ,of the present invention the0 accompanying drawings illustrate the device with several modifications. v Y t In said drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of the net in position. Fig. 2 illustratesthe net displaced and beingv carried along or towed by a moving submarine, showing how the indicators at the surface become conspicuous. Fig. 3 is a top view of ,one form of float employed in thedevice. Fig.V 4 is a reduced4 plan view of a submarine and the floats trailing behind to indicate the position and direction of the craft. Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of float or indicator, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of Va further modification. e

I prefer to use, as a submerged device'of considerable area, a net, made up of wires 10, the wires 10 forming the body portion of the net and arranged in any desired mesh and of any size mesh, but I illustrate simply hiorizontal and vertical wires. VrIhe ywires can be placed as farl apart ,as desired, say,

for instance, ten yards, but this distance can bevaried. The wires may be covered, if desired, with a light covering to make them somewhat buoyant and to prevent undue sagging. The Vnet extends to the desired depth usually, in channels, close to the Vbottom thereof. In some Y isolated and in other situations can be made say, half a milelong and arranged end to end to cover a large area. The net is supplaces the nets can be ported by suitable floats k11 which hold the net at the proper depth and also act as indicators when the net is moved. rIhe details of some forms ,of these iioats will be de scribed hereinafter.

The net is fastened in place by means sufcient toprevent drifting, but said means is calculated torelease the net understrains in excess of that of currents or contact of. light drifting bodies. The mooring or fastening means' can be attached to' shore for shallow places in narrow channels or in such locations,y or in wider-space the net can be moored to the bottom. Such mooring kedges or anchors are shown at 12 and they are connected to the net by suitable means, such as thewires 13. The net can be enlarged as to its mesh near the surface to lpermit the passage of vessels 14 on the surface, and small vessels can pass between or through thel floats without disturbing the net. rlhe .vertical wires can be lengthened, ifdesired,

to bring the wire 10a sufficiently below the surface to permit boats not submerged to pass over it, .especially in thoroughfares for shipping. y when the net is moved by being torn from its moorings and towed by aY submerged submarine. v

One form of float is shown in Figs. 1 to 4,

The floats areused to indicate inclusive, as kite-shaped or similarly shaped floats constructed so that when under way they throw the water or otherwise make a commotion to be easily seen by either-a shore observer or by guard vessels. lSuch float v when under way may throw La spray as in Fig. 2, and a series of these floats under way make a defined row of disturbances easily detected. The showing in Fig. 2 illustrates how the net is carried along by the submarines and the floats at the surface show both,

the direction and location of theVV submarine.

Thisis also clearly apparent from Fig. 4.

The iioats can be made oflwood or other suitable buoyant material, or they can be lmade of metal andrhollow so as to form air= chambers. The floats are inconspicuous When at rest and are thus preferably made of a generally flat shape.

The floats are preferably marked with identifying devices, such as numbers, sothat a submarine chaser or similar craft, in picking up oi' following the floats, at once calculates, from the numbers on the floats adj acent the shorter end of the tailing line of floats, how far to the front the submarine is. For instance, in F ig. -i the float marked Zero is opposite SO so that half of this is el@ which, if the floats are ten yards apart, indicates that the submarine is about Ll() yards ahead. 'ln long nets this finding means is particularly advantageous. The net can be joined at the back by the rear floats to surround the submarine and by a resistance or by going astern can pull on the net to causelan upward tilting of the submarines bow and so bring it to the surface in spite of or before the operation of divingvmechanism to counteract it. The' floats can have highly polished or renective top surfaces to make them easier to see when they are under Way.'l To cause suoli tilting suitable rigging can be used, a kite rig being shown in Fig. 3, the tivo breast strands 15 and the rear 'strand 16 acting to hold the float at an angle when it is pulled along the surface of the Water. I

A modified form of float is shown in vFig. 5, the float having a buoyant body portion which has attached thereto a mechanical indicator which is operated vhen the iioat is towed; The indicator consists of an easily seen signal as at 18 which can be made of two disks of metal placed at right-angles to each other as in switch signals and cut away as at 19 to cut down the Wind resistance. YThis signal is on a rod 20 pivoted at 21 to the. float and lying normally horizontal or substantially so. iin extension 22 on the rod 20 is fastened to one 'of the wires 10 as shown. lifhenthe Wire is pulled to toiv the float, the rod 20 is raised and the signal is elevated to a position Where it is easily seen. A. catch to hold it up can be used, if desired. l also illustrate in this figure another form of signal operated in this case by the rod :20. fi suitable mortar or gun 23 is placed so that firing pin thereof is struck by the rod 2O and sets off the charge in the mortar either electrieally or by means ofthe percussion cap 25 so as to expel the bomb 26 which can either be a smoke bomb or an illumiuat ing bomb or both.

another form of float is shown in Fig. 6 and is preferably used at the ends of the net as shown in Fig. 1. This float is held under thesurface by the net when stationary, and issecured or balanced so that it is inclined, but lWhen toived, it rises to the surface and becomes more nearly. level. rl`he lioat has a body portion 27 with a suitable signal, as

'termii'iah the battery and the light are connected to the circuit Wires 35 and 36, and the light 8l is lighted when the lever 38 swings against the terminal 3e'. The' light 31 can have a distinctive color to permit it to be identified quickly.

rlhe nets can be made large in area and the floats placed a "considerable distance apart, if desired.l `Another advantage' is that the nets can be takenupeasily and "easily placed in neiv positions. n

'lf-asubinarine strikes a net and attempts to back out or ielease'itself Without'coining to thesurface, it Will'be unable to do so, as under Vspeed the ends of the net come together and the net encircles the boat.` A speedy boat 'can attach yitself to the iioats or nets when chasing a submarine and be y Vtowed around by the submarine and vfire "bombs which WouldeXplode-in the vicinity or against the submarine.y Theiioats can have their'I bottom surfaces oonstruoted so as to ruffle the surface of the rWater When they are in motion.

Having 'thus described my invention, I 100 claim:

V1. A submarine detector comprising a submerged device, and a series of indicators attached thereto, said indicators being inconspicuous when at rest and constructed so as to change their Ypositions relativetothe surface of the Water when the floats are towed by the device.

the 'device and inconspi'cuous When moored I but conspicuous when' the device is'engaged 120 by a moving body and the floats are tovved by the device. w t. A submarine detector comprising a submerged net Imoored so as to prevent drifting 'but adapted tobe released by pressure of a 125 submarine, andl a series of loatsconnected to the net and'having means thereon to indieate movement ofthe net.

5. A submarine detector comprising a net having a series of floats connected to it,

said oats having means thereon for visually indicating exceptional movement of the net.

6. A submarine detector comprising a net, means for preventing the net from drifting, and a series of Hoats connected to the net and constructed so as to be inconspicuous When at rest and to cause a commotion in the Water When the net is removed from its position by a moving body in the Water.

7 A submarine detector comprising a exible net, and a series of separated floats connected to the net and constructed so as to dene by a series of commotions on the surface of the Water the location and direcof commotions on the surface of the Waterthe location and direction of a submarine engaging and towing the net.

In testimony that I'claim the foregoing, I hergto setmy hand, this 10th day of March, 191

WILLIAM A. STEWART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 2D. G. 

